This chapter reviews the framework for analyzing the development and status of the Internet within Iran following general guidelines established by the Global Information Technology Assessment Group (formerly the MOSAIC group).
The principal components of the framework are six ``dimensions" and an open-ended list of ``determinants". The six dimensions are:
Dimensions represent a number of interrelated factors that comprise the ``Internet capability" of a nation. Each of the six dimensions is given a numeric score supported by a narrative discussion.
Compilation and analysis of the determinants and relevant government policies not only establishes how the current situation came to be, but can inform decision-makers of the likely consequences of future regulatory or investment decisions on the further development of Internet capabilities. This is the subject of our next report.
Of the six dimensions, the first four relate to usage and are considered in this chapter. The last two, connectivity and organizational infrastructure, require more detailed analysis and are presented in separate chapters.
Connectivity Infrastructure represents the degree to which users can effectively communicate via the Internet and the number and speed of a country's international connections. Organizational Infrastructure describes the richness and robustness of the Internet service provision market, and hence the potential for further proliferation. It is also the dimension that best reflects one of the most important variables in Internet diffusion, government policy.
All six dimensions and relevant determinants will be brought together at the end of our two-report series, to form a comprehensive view graphically via a Kiveat diagram, a dimensional analysis tool representing a time-slice view that facilitates both assessment of the Internet within a country and comparisons between countries and regions.